This paper discusses Carochi’s Arte of Classical Nahuatl (1645), widely regarded as the most accurate descriptive account of the language during the colonial period. Building on Léon Portilla’s suggestion, it argues that while Carochi’s work aligns with Rincón’s Arte Mexicana (1595), its main reference is Nebrija’s Gramatica de la lengua castellana. Despite these influences, Carochi’s Arte is innovative in its treatment of noun and verb morphosyntax, expanding on Rincón’s terminological advances with greater detail and clarity. Carochi’s work, finally, reveals an important theoretical point: it is possible that Classical Nahuatl copular sentences sometimes do not follow the non-symmetrical principle of current generative models.
From Nebrija to Carochi via Rincón: the Arte de la lengua mexicana (1645) between tradition and innovation
Antonio Perri
2025-01-01
Abstract
This paper discusses Carochi’s Arte of Classical Nahuatl (1645), widely regarded as the most accurate descriptive account of the language during the colonial period. Building on Léon Portilla’s suggestion, it argues that while Carochi’s work aligns with Rincón’s Arte Mexicana (1595), its main reference is Nebrija’s Gramatica de la lengua castellana. Despite these influences, Carochi’s Arte is innovative in its treatment of noun and verb morphosyntax, expanding on Rincón’s terminological advances with greater detail and clarity. Carochi’s work, finally, reveals an important theoretical point: it is possible that Classical Nahuatl copular sentences sometimes do not follow the non-symmetrical principle of current generative models.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
